Saltwater Tournament How-To Guide

Want to Fish a KATS Saltwater Event? Here is a Step-by-Step Approach!

Whether its your very first KATS event or you need a refresher course, this is a surefire way to make sure you are READY come tournament day! Kayak fishing tournaments are a whole lot of fun, and its important to be prepared to really maximize your time out on the water. This guide will walk you through each step of preparation for a KATS events. Fishing and catching fish is up to you!

Information:

The first step is to sign up for our email list to receive all of the important information updates; register at http://fishkats.com/join-our-email-list/. For a successful KATS event or series, familiarize yourself with all of the appropriate information. Lucky for you, it’s all in one convenient place: www.fishkats.com . From there you can find everything from rules to registration to event results. Here is a list of things you should (must) read before competing in a KATS event.

Registration is ONLY accepted online. Please make sure to register for the KATS event you wish to participate in through the online service and prior to the cutoff date. Registration ends on the Thursday night prior to the tournament. There is NO onsite or day-of registration at the events. The cost is $50 for our Gulf Coast division. No membership dues! Register for the next event at http://fishkats.com/sign-up-and-register/

Have the Right Tournament Gear:

In addition to your plethora of lures, rods, and kayaking accessories, there are a handful of tournament specific items you will need.

A digital camera (waterproof recommended) with a removable memory chip.

A PFD (not PDF) – life jackets must be worn at all times

Sharpie Marker – we provide some, but can’t promise to have enough!

A score card – we will provide you with this at sign in

A unique identifier – we will provide you with a wristband at sign in

Patience – it takes time to score all of those pictures.

The Day Of:

Once you have all of your information, your gear, and are registered, you just need to get yourself to the event on time! Many folks come out the night before and camp (sometimes we even meet up and have a big ol’ party), or others get up very early and drive out to the event the morning of. Registration begins at 6:00 am and we shoot for a 7:00 am launch. Get in line and we will check that you have registered online, provide you a wristband and give you a scorecard. Once everyone is signed in, meet us wearing your PFD, and measuring device in hand for the captains meeting 6:30am. After a few announcements and a safety check we proceed to get ready to launch. Most folks tend to unload and gear up their yaks prior to check in time.

Launch! Race to your spot, and catch some fish! You have until 3pm before you have to be back and in line. You must be in line by these times for scoring without a penalty. The award ceremony and raffles will take place once the scoring is complete. We must collect your scorecards, and borrowed sharpies before you leave (whether you catch fish or not)! How else will we know you made it back safely?

Results and Winners:

We will announce the winners at the awards ceremony and the remainder of the scores will be posted the following day on www.fishkats.com . Winners will be mailed their check or gift certificate during the following week. Make sure to check out the photos we post of the event as well!

Last but not Least:

Sign up for the next one! Go ahead and return to the registration site to get yourself ready for your next chance to win big!

Of course there is lots more useful information on the website, so what are you waiting for? Go there now!